Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong flags how the AKAP program has similarities to pork barrel as politicians have influence in deciding beneficiaries
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AKAP, which is under the Department of Social Welfare and Development , is a one-time cash aid program with a subsidy of up to P5,000 for workers earning less than the minimum wage. It is the pet project of House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The two departments confirmed the lack of a list despite having 4.9 million AKAP beneficiaries in 2024, according to DSWD numbers.
For one, some barangays are not equipped to measure if a resident can be classified as a low-income earner. Magalong also flagged the lack of transparency and weak data-sharing mechanism that caused redundancies. “Given the way the AKAP operates, we cannot help but find similarities in the design of the AKAP and the Philippine Development Assistance Fund which the Supreme Court struck down in 2013 due to the following discretionary fund allocation. AKAP and pork barrel allow officials to control public funds with broad discretion, often without strict guidance or oversight,” he added.
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